Lara Murray-Sterzel, Staff Writer |
Every day is a part of history to be recorded. But there’s one thing people can agree on and that is history being unexpected. Take Queen Elizabeth II’s death for instance, even though we saw it coming the reality of living without her is unimaginable. She was England’s longest-ruling monarch who inherited the throne after her father passed away in 1952. To a surprise, the Queen’s death has had numerous mixed reactions around the world. Why would people react differently than expected? Panelists from the Departments of History, Women and Gender Studies, Sociology, and English came together to discuss the answer.
Queen Elizabeth II has been the ruler of England for seventy years until her death at age of 96. With the Queen gone, some people wanted the monarchy to end and become a republic. But to their disappointment, the Queen’s eldest son Charles was crowned King of England. The panelists provided evidence as to why people thought the monarchy should become a republic. The panelists introduced the consequences of the monarchy. Their statements illustrated the racism within the institute of the monarchy, its greed factors, the enormous wealth of the Royal Family, the indifference to suffering in the kingdom at times, harsh inequality, and engaging in political interference. Each of the panelists explored the history of the monarchy’s work in other countries and how their duties at times failed. People felt that the monarchy didn’t do enough to be of service. Some of these struggles stem back to traditional royal involvement. Some of the British citizens want to break away from the traditional ways and embrace the new independent ones.
But when the Queen’s death was announced, the whole world mourned. The Queen’s family mourned. Political figures mourned. Her own people mourned. Why is that? How could someone who was seen as a problem be mourned by so many people? Which makes others wonder, are all leaders perfect? Students can’t think of one person in history who has ever been described as flawless or without fault. People looked up to Queen Elizabeth II to not necessarily rule, but guide them into the future. In her seventy years of experience, she taught her people to take pride in their history. And even if her legacy faltered at times, people will remember the good deeds she performed as the Queen.
Leave a Reply